Technological breakthrough - New to UK market
Suppliers of THIRd generation Vacuum Insulated TECHNOLOGY
Reduce energy costs and bring in new light!
Suppliers of THIRd generation Vacuum Insulated TECHNOLOGY
Reduce energy costs and bring in new light!
Technological breakthrough - New to UK market
Reduce energy costs and bring in new light!
Reduce energy costs and bring in new light!
Vacuum Insulated Glazing (VIG) provides class leading performance, giving superior thermal and acoustic performance, all within a profile as thin as 6mm.
Using new manufacturing technology developed in China the cost of using the VGlass system is comparable to conventional double glazing, and overall cheaper than triple glazing, whilst delivering better results. In addition, VGlass are the only supplier of VIG manufacturing technology to the UK market that incorporates toughened glass without any unsightly vacuum ports, thanks to the patented manufacturing process. At 6.13mm it is also the thinnest product on the market which incorporates safety glass as standard.
Vacuum Insulated Glass (VIG) is essentially a double glazing unit where the air between the two panes of glass has been removed, resulting in a vacuum space, which only needs to be a minimal thickness (around 0.1 to 0.7mm) to be effective. The vacuum delivers superior thermal and acoustic insulation, which has been proven to be better than conventional triple glazing and far better than traditional double glazing units.
VIG was first invented in 1913, but it did not become a viable product until 1989, when a successful fabrication process was developed at the University of Sydney.
This development was further advanced in Japan when the first commercial VIG was made available in 1997. This was first generation VIG and had a few drawbacks. These included the inability to use Toughened/Tempered glass, and the presence of an unsightly evacuation port on the inner surface of the glazing unit. Improvements in the technology lead to a second generation of VIG, but there were still problems with the evacuation method. Third generation VIG has now solved this problem, leading to a blemish free appearance.
VGlass (UK) was established in 2020 to find the best technology and to bring it to the UK. After an extensive search and much research VGlass have established an exclusive partnership with the Chinese inventors of this specific technology to bring VIG products and manufacturing to the UK market. The patented process removes the need for an evacuation port on the surface of the glass, and includes toughened glass units.
As the newest entrant to the UK VIG market we have benchmarked our products against the competition. Thanks to the technical improvements developed by our Chinese partners we can deliver exceptional performance at a reasonable price, without compromising quality.
The number one feature of any VIG glazing is energy efficiency that is better than conventional triple glazing, whilst maintaining a thin profile. Our thinnest profile is 6.13mm, which is the slimmest on the market, but at the same time giving a class-leading thermal efficiency U-value of between 0.3 and 0.5 watts per square metre-kelvin (W/m2-K). The variation is dependent on the specifications of the glass that is required. This compares with a best of 1.2 for conventional double glazing, and 0.7 for triple glazing.
The second attribute that the vacuum delivers is superior acoustic insulation with a sound reduction index (Rw) of 40 decibels.
Other VIG products have a larger gap between the 2 sheets of glass, which can lead to some detrimental effects, such as double reflections or more visible pillars.
The pillars are micro-spacers inserted into the vacuum gap during the manufacturing process to prevent the sheets of glass from ever touching. If they did touch the performance of the VIG would reduce, and so these pillars are a common element in all VIG systems. They are generally spaced in a grid pattern throughout the glazing unit to prevent the glass from touching as it flexes. All of these pillars are visible when close to the glass, but disappear from view as you move away from the surface. Our particular pillars are small ceramic cubes 0.13mm in size (the smallest on the market) and so are less visible than competitors offerings.
The edge seal is an important component in any VIG, and our product uses the very latest metal-based technology. This is an inert, lead-free composition which forms a bond with the glass at a molecular level. This gives the strongest most robust seal which will last many years. The method used by some other brands utilises a glass-frit seal which is less robust. This needs higher temperatures during the manufacturing process, which can cause tempered glass to re-vitrify thereby losing it's safety properties. Vglass products include toughened safety glass as standard at no extra cost.
At Vglass we are firmly convinced that our product is the right combination of performance and price that puts this breakthrough technology into the glazing marketplace and is available for all levels of budget.
VGlass is collaborating with top-class providers to bring the very best VIG to the UK market:
Glass
The VIG that we supply comes exclusively from Leadus Technology of China. They developed what is now known as 3rd Generation VIG, which is the most recent version available today. Their manufacturing process is continuous and has delivered enhanced technical and aesthetic qualities whilst reducing unit costs below that of competing brands.
VGlass carried out a comprehensive assessment of all VIG products before selecting that from Leadus as being the best available, for the following reasons:
1. Performance - Leadus VIG has the lowest u-value and highest noise reduction on the market
2. Safety - Leadus VIG comes with toughened glass as standard, at no extra cost
3. Aesthetics - We supply the thinnest VIG on the market, with the smallest gap between the 2 glass surfaces, eliminating double reflections and giving superior sight lines
4. Value for money - The continuous manufacturing process developed by Leadus leads to efficient and faster production, keeping costs well below competing brands
5. Longevity - Because the metallic edge seal developed by Leadus forms a molecular bond with the glass, this is much stronger than the glass-frit seal used by other brands. The seal will last for many years, with no fogging, resulting in a 15-year guarantee and a predicted life of 50+ years
Delivery
All glass is heavy and fragile, and VIG is no exception. Using a specialist is essential to delivering our products to the customer in pristine condition.
VGlass have teamed up with Nicholls and Clarke Glass ( www.ncglass.com ) to ensure a secure and safe supply chain throughout the UK. N&C Glass have over 150 years' experience as an independent glass supplier, offering a full range of glass products from their multi-site production facility, including high performance sealed units and glass processing, as well as being distributors for all major manufacturers. Their fleet of over 30 commercial vehicles can handle any size delivery, using specialist handling equipment and experienced staff. We can now deliver VIG to any customer at a fraction of the cost of other delivery methods.
These glazing systems are already being used in many locations around the world. It has yet to be widely adopted in the UK or Europe.
Building applications include renovation, restoration and new builds, where frame size needs to be kept to a minimum, or original features are to remain in place.
Additionally, this glazing system is suitable for use in vending machines and glass fronted refrigeration to save energy, reduce door profiles, and remove complexity.
We can supply VIG glazing in various sizes and thicknesses to suit your projects.
We can also supply equipment to glazing manufacturers to establish a complete production line for third generation VIG units to any location within the UK. This includes management of the import process, construction supervision, commissioning and testing, plus training for customer staff.
Please get in touch to find out more.